Executive chef Tom Dyrness, fittingly, puts the growth of Mama Ricotta’s into increments of lasagna pans. He recalls, in 2009, “We used to do 8-12 pans a week.” Now, a typical week sees 24-28 pans come through the pass and into the dining room or boxed up for takeout.

Over its 30 years, Mama Ricotta’s Italian Restaurant at 601 S. Kings Drive has provided opportunities, borrowing favorite words from Dyrness, “On a lot of levels.”